The Passion of Collecting Academic Nudes

Join me as we explore my collection of Academic Nudes from the 18th, 19th, and Early 20th Centuries and serendipitous finds in the Museum, Art Auction, and Gallery world......examples from the Golden Age of the European Academie

About Me

After my early retirement I went back to school to train in Fine Arts - Studio Painting at the University level. During my required life drawing classes, I became enamoured with the beauty of the nude, both male and female. Online I bought my first 19th Century work of the Academic Nude. I was hooked. It is such a shame that more Museums do not collect and display them but I guess they are considered minor works by such august bodies. I have amassed a nice collection of drawings, paintings, watercolors, and graphic works that adorn every wall in my home. Ocassionally I sell on eBay, passing along the joy of ownership to other collectors. That joy of collecting is the inspiration for my blog. I have tried not to limit myself to strictly 19th century works but instead include works from what I consider to be the Golden Age of the Art Academy, mid-18th to early 20th centuries. By the advent of modernism and the 1920's, the party was literally over. The academy system with its salons had collapsed and the strict academic teaching methods all but forgotten.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Anonymous 19th Century Academic Male Nude

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This nicely executed 19th century male nude popped up on one of the European eBay sites this morning. It needs a good cleaning, some minor conservation repair, and a new stretcher but is worth preserving.